On Friday, April 24, the first Dark Sky Party at Sierra la Rana will take place. Activities will begin at 7:30 P.M. and continue until 11 P.M. Organizers’ goals are to expose the public to the marvels of astronomy and the importance of protecting dark skies, not just for astronomy, but also for area wildlife.

Sierra la Rana is a dark-sky friendly community (as evidenced by the dark-sky map at right) with an Astronomy Village and a common area with telescope pads for stellar viewing. The Dark Sky Party, which intends to be an annual event, will be held in the Astronomy Village. Sierra la Rana lies 2 miles south of Alpine, Texas, on Highway 118, and the Astronomy Village sits at the top of High Lonesome Drive.

Members of the Texas Star Party, one of the largest in the United States, have agreed to moderate the first Sierra la Rana Dark Sky Party. A slide show and discussion start at 8:15 P.M. followed by viewing through telescopes. Organizers encourage attendees to bring blankets, sweaters, chairs, and red lights — no white lights after sundown in the observing area, please. They also suggest visitors who bring telescopes set up on one of the telescope pads.

If you plan to attend the Dark Sky Party please RSVP by telephone at 817.975.8736 or by e-mail at giba@jmkint.com.

Image credit: P. Cinzano, F. Falchi (University of Padova), C. D. Elvidge (NOAA National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder). Copyright Royal Astronomical Society. Reproduced from the Monthly Notices of the RAS by permission of Blackwell Science (www.lightpollution.it/dmsp)